May 17, 2016, Des Moines, IOWA - Elevate Advanced Manufacturing, a non-profit initiative spreading the word about gainful career opportunities in manufacturing, has awarded 12-$500 scholarships to recent Iowa high school graduates entering manufacturing-related courses of study at Iowa’s 15 community colleges. Kollyn Buch of Clarinda, who will attend Southwestern Community College in the fall, is one of the recipients. Buch will major in industrial technology.
“Manufacturing firms supply more than 208,858 jobs to Iowans,” said Michel Ralston, president of the Iowa Association of Business and Industry. “These well-paying careers require education and training beyond high school, but don’t require the often burdensome cost of a bachelor’s degree. Recent studies have shown that two-year degree holders, especially in high-demand manufacturing occupations, can earn salaries that surpass those of college graduates.”
In addition to a $500 scholarship, Elevate scholarship recipients will be honored at Iowa’s Advanced Manufacturing Conference on October 3, 2016.
Elevate Iowa is a statewide, integrated marketing campaign to promote careers and educational pathways in advanced manufacturing. The initiative is directed by a coalition of all 15 Iowa community colleges represented by the Iowa-Advanced Manufacturing (I-AM) Consortium, the Iowa Association of Business and Industry, the private manufacturing sector and the state of Iowa. The initiative is funded in part by the I-AM Consortium, which is 100 percent financed through a grant from the Department of Labor’s Employment & Training Administration. Elevate Iowa offers resources to the public specifically targeting those eligible for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for workers, unemployed/underemployed Iowans, U.S. veterans, along with K-12 students and their families.
For more information about manufacturing careers, visit www.elevateiowa.com.
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